Half a century ago this month, four lads from Liverpool introduced themselves on a U.S. television show and played a few songs. That was all it took for millions of music fans across the States to fall in love with the Beatles.

On Feb. 7, 1964, the Beatles arrived at newly named John F. Kennedy airport in Queens, N.Y. to a surprisingly shocking mob of screaming fans and reporters. With their mop-top hair, British humor and catchy music — John, Paul, George and Ringo were something new and fresh that Americans hadn't seen or heard before.

When the Beatles took to the stage at The Ed Sullivan Show on Feb. 9, 1964, it was a turning point in pop culture and music history. More than 73 million people tuned in to the broadcast, confirming that 'Beatlemania' had arrived.

Although many people swooned over the group and enjoyed their upbeat songs, many critics claimed that the Fab Four would be a fad and forgotten about within a few months. Newsweek Magazine wrote in review of The Ed Sullivan Show performance that, "Musically, they are a near-disaster … their lyrics (punctuated by nutty shouts of 'yeah, yeah, yeah!') are a catastrophe, a preposterous farrago of Valentine-card romantic sentiments ... The odds are they will fade away, as most adults confidently predict.”

As for those early predictions that the group would be a fad, we all know how the story ended. The Beatles ultimately sold more than 600 million albums worldwide, produced 20 no. 1 U.S. singles (17 in the U.K.), which still holds a Billboard record, and have sold over $2.3 million in remastered catalogue sales. With these impressive numbers, it's not a stretch to say that the Beatlemania explosion changed the music industry forever.

As the 50th anniversary approaches, it is amazing to realize that the Beatles continue to invade and capture people's attention and hearts after so many years. They left behind seven years of brilliantly recorded music and a legacy that somehow seems to keep getting better.

The Beatles 50th Anniversary

A photo of The Beatles performing at the Cavern Club in 1962.

Image: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

The Beatles pose for an early group portrait in 1962.

Image: Harry Hammond/V&A Images/Getty Images

The Beatles sign documents for music publisher Dick James in Studio 2 at Abbey Road in London recording the single 'She Loves You' on July 1, 1963.